Guy Sebastian shares his photography tips

Mark Furler is APN Australian Regional Media’s group digital editor. He’s an award-winning journalist who has lived and worked on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for more than 25 years. He’s passionate about fighting for a better go for locals. His awards include APN Editor of the Year, and involvement in three PANPA Newspaper of the Year wins for the Sunshine Coast Daily.

"I love the buzz and excitement of world tours and being focused on performing my music live to my fans, but outside this, some of my most precious moments are spent behind the lens, observing and capturing the world around me,'' the chart-topping Australian artist says.

Sebastian, whose interest started in music at the age of four, is an ambassador for Canon and is currently promoting the Stillness for the Canon Light Awards.

The Australian Idol winner and X Factor judge says he believes the key to great photography is taking time out to capture the moment, often off the beaten track.

"It is in these moments of stillness where I can really appreciate the little hidden surprises at every turn, the small details that often go unnoticed as we hurtle through our days.

"When you stop, take a deep breath, and find your sense of wonder, you surprise yourself with the beauty that lies in your frame.''

Moscow meditation.Guy Sebastian

Guy Sebastian's top five photography tips:

1. Effort

Sometimes the whole 'right place at the right time' pays off.

However, most of the time, great shots come from putting in that extra bit of effort to increase the chances of obtaining a great image.

This means setting alarms for sunrise shots, travelling some distances to a "special" scene, timing it with an event you may want to capture (such as the Indian festival of lights, the Spanish running of bulls, solar events, etc.). It may mean being cold, wet, patient, frustrated but it often will pay off.

2. Be Adventurous

Often, when I'm on the road, I will take detours to seek out landscapes. I might see a turn off sign for a waterfall or some other attraction.

Sebastian has even asked people on the street, to even people in the media I've worked with, like Simon Cowell.

"Yes he was the creator of the show I was employed on as a judge, and yes he could have thought I was being a fan boy asking for a portrait, but he was so nice about it."

Have multiple points of interest, as in this sunset perspective from Canon Ambassador Guy Sebastian.

3. Have multiple points of interest

In the world of Instagram and other social media platforms, we are flooded with pictures of sunsets/sunrises, so you may need to add something else to have your image cut through.

For example, if you have made the effort to get up and shoot a sunrise over the water, then try and have something in the foreground to attract some interest.

I shot this in the Maldives early in the morning.

I was shooting the water and the sky but each frame just looked like every other sunset over water shot. Then I saw this beautiful leaf a few metres away from me so I rolled up my pants and got in the water to take this. I think the addition of the leaf gives the picture a peaceful evocation.

Gladstone factory sceneGuy Sebastian, Canon ambassador

4. Educate yourself, at your pace

Most of the things I've learned on a technical level have come from watching tutorial videos on YouTube or from photography magazines.

Learning the basics of your camera and how to do some post edit work can be priceless to bring a good overall balance to your photo.

5. Get inspired

With any passion, the best tool is inspiration.

I love things like Instagram and Pinterest. I get so many ideas just by getting a daily digest of images from great photographers who I follow on social media.

What that also does is it tells me which pictures stand out to me, then I can analyse them and try and work out what it is about that particular image that had me mesmerised for longer than a glance.